Monday 30 April 2012

Article - Southwell Workhouse volunteer is happy to give up his time for National Trust attraction

JOHN Marchmont at 87 is one of the oldest volunteers working at Southwell’s Workhouse for The National Trust.

But with age comes experience, knowledge and charm and John has it all in abundance.

The former textile worker and driving instructor is no newcomer to volunteer work, having served with the Territorial Army for 25 years and also lending a hand at Southwell Minster when required.

He lives nearby in the town in the shadow of the historical Workhouse and watched as the building was renovated and brought back to life by the national charity, not realising that he would one day become its ‘Master’.

“Both The National Trust and the Church of England would grind to a halt without their volunteers, that’s why I’m happy to help.

“I received a certificate from The National Trust’s director general, Dame Fiona Reynolds, when she visited in March during our 10 year celebrations,” explained John whose wife died two years ago.

John is one of four volunteers who plays the revered role of The Workhouse ‘Master’. I watch as he dons the long coat and top hat and takes up the shiny, brass-topped cane for our photo-shoot and witness the transformation.

This character plays the part perfectly, giving enough stern stares at youngsters to engage them without causing fear yet instilling in them the true portrayal of the part.

“I really enjoy the school visits but it’s important not to be too heavy-handed as children today aren’t as tough as they were in the days the Workhouse operated,” joked John, who is a popular figure amongst staff and visitors and was voted as the person most volunteers wanted to be their grandfather!

John not only brings his role to life but with eight decades behind him is a living history on his own with a wealth of tales to draw upon.

It is John’s drive to ‘keep going’ despite his years that motivates him to volunteer around one day a week.

“I like to stay busy and occupied and talking to the children enables me to give a small input into their learning. What I don’t want is to just sit by the fire all day long and die when nobody is looking.

“It’s also been a great way of meeting new people and making friends. All the volunteers and paid staff have a good rapport with each other.”

At the Workhouse open days, John has been known to switch sides, swapping his wool coat of ‘Master’ for pauper’s rags as an inmate oakum-picking in the men’s yard.

John explains: “Each role is a bit of a challenge for different reasons. You have to bring personality to them and act the part to make it entertaining as well as informative for visitors.”

Acting skills are also put to the test during the annual Christmas pantomime put on by the educational volunteers.

“We all get along so well and have a laugh together,” added John.

The volunteers’ efforts at The Workhouse are invaluable supporting the staff in protecting the site, maintaining it and providing the learning opportunities for its visitors.

Property manager, Rachel Harrison, recognises the enormous role volunteers play within the Southwell venue but also throughout the whole trust.

“Volunteers are the life-blood of the organisation,” she said. “We are one big family at The Workhouse and all stick together.

“We couldn’t manage without them. They are a lovely group who are very intelligent and a delight to work with.”

So at 87, is John ready to hang up his hat at The Workhouse yet? “No,” said John with a resounding voice. “With age comes physical limitations but I’ll keep helping for as long as I can.”

From: http://www.chad.co.uk/news/business/southwell-workhouse-volunteer-is-happy-to-give-up-his-time-for-national-trust-attraction-1-4467442

News - Town hall will 'open next month' (Barnsley)

Barnsley town hall will reopen for business next month, the leader of the council 'has been promised'.


Coun Steve Houghton said work was going according to plan, and the ceremony to elect the new Mayor for the year ahead on May 18 will be the first event in the newly refurbished town hall.

It has been closed for nearly 18 months, as part of a £6m project to create a museum on the ground floor and basement areas.

Councillors and some of their staff will return to offices in the two upper floors.

Meetings of the whole council will also return to the main council chamber.

The meetings have been held at Barnsley Football Club's function suite while it has been closed.

Coun Houghton said: "The facilities at Oakwell have been great, but I think we're all eager to get back into the town hall."

From: http://www.barnsley-chronicle.co.uk/news/article/5138/town-hall-will-open-next-month

News -Dig report reveals Dark Ages link (Southwell)


Human remains that could date back to the Dark Ages were among the finds on a site in Southwell earmarked for homes.

A report into the archaeology discovered at Platts Orchard, Southwell, which has planning consent for three homes, has been released by Newark and Sherwood District Council.

The report by Pre-construct Archaeology gives further details of archaeology found on the plot, owned by the Gascoines Group, and explains how it will be protected during development.

It believes the site was part of a large Medieval burial ground surrounding Southwell Minster, extending from the former site of the Minster School, Church Street, where Roman remains and Saxon burials were found.

A charnel pit, used to deposit bones or bodies of many dead people, was discovered, along with ditches dating back to the Roman period.

A grave was found that included a body laid on its side with head, legs and arms drawn up in a crouched position, along with an iron object believed to be a hinge.

The report suggests the body could have been buried in a domestic chest, as was common between the 8th and 10th centuries.

It said: “If this was the case at Platts Orchard then it could explain why this individual was found in the crouched position and the apparent over-sized nature of the grave cut.”

Other finds included shards of Roman, Medieval and Iron Age pottery, a fragment of antler believed to form part of a comb, and a copper dress fastener from the 15th or 16th Century.

A body from one of the burials has been carbon dated to between 665 AD and 866 AD, which covers the early medieval period known as the Dark Ages, named for the lack of historical information.

The body would pre-date the building of the nave of Southwell Minster.

Members of the town council’s planning committee called for the land where the body was found, which will remain undeveloped, to be opened to the public.

Mr Julian Hamilton called for the council to take action to ensure the land was not lost to the public forever.

He said: “Are we going to take any position to have that open space available for the public?

“There has been a Saxon burial found and we should make sure the town has a say over what happens to that.”

Mr Peter Harris said as planning permission for the site had been granted there was not much the council could do.

The committee referred the matter to the town’s heritage group.
 
From: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Dig-report-reveals-Dark-Ages-link

News - 'V Force' reunion at Newark Air Museum attracts 400 veterans

Nearly 400 veterans from the RAF's former nuclear strike force have attended a reunion at a Nottinghamshire air museum.


Air crews and ground staff, members of what was known as the "V Force" during the 1950s and 1960s, were invited to the event at Newark Air Museum.

The force, made up of Vulcans, Valiants and Victor bombers, were Britain's main deterrent during the Cold War.

Many crew members would have trained in the area near the museum.

Rodger Barker, who piloted Vulcans for five years as part of the force, said: "I'm here to show my grand-daughter where I sat when I used to fly these planes and to take some photos of her sitting in the seat.

"It's a very special day."

'Missile crisis'
Howard Healey, from the air museum, said the East Midlands had a "strong connection" with the force.

"There are a lot of contacts at bases such as Cottesmore (Rutland), Waddington (Lincolnshire), Wittering (Cambridgeshire) and Scampton (Lincolnshire)," he said.

"This weekend is a great opportunity for them to reminisce and for members of the public to catch a few stories as well."

V Force crews were kept on standby for deployment to carry out nuclear strikes at short notice during the tense post-World War II era.

Mr Healey said: "The V Force was Britain's nuclear deterrent. They were basically our front line of defence should we have a conflict with the Eastern European countries led by Russia.

"During the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, a lot of these crew could have been dispersed to individual aircraft sites across the UK, maybe with two or three minutes notice, to go and possibly attack Russia.

"It needed a very special kind of person to undertake that role and I think the British public should be very grateful for what these air crews and ground crews did to protect our freedom."

From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-17885714

Wednesday 25 April 2012

News - Clean Sweep for museum (Newark)

Schools, churches and parish councils could be offered some of the historical items owned by Newark and Sherwood District Council’s museum service.
 
Mr Roger Jackson told the council’s cabinet the museum service owned about 70,000 items, of which 17,000 were on display at Millgate Museum.

He said they needed to look at their collections before renewing their museum accreditation next February. Members agreed that a review of its collections, policies and plans should be carried out.

Mr Jackson said: “We should be looking at quality not quantity and it might be that some items are more appropriate for other areas.”

He said the aim was to go through the collections, come up with a disposal policy and look at what they wanted to keep.

He said some of the items could be returned to their original donors or given to Newark Town Council for its museum. He suggested that items could be given to Ollerton, Southwell and other parts of the county.

Mr Roger Blaney asked if schools could be given appropriate items too so they could start their own local history museum.

He said: “We have an outreach project where the items are taken to schools so could we take them and leave them?”

Mrs Nora Armstrong said churches and parish councils might like to be offered items.

Mr Jackson said they were waiting to hear if their bid for Lottery money to turn the former Magnus buildings on Appletongate, Newark, into a National Civil War Centre had been successful.

He said it was planned to charge for entry into some of the exhibitions and they hoped to borrow relevant artefacts from other museums.
 
From: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Clean-sweep-for-museum

Article - Unique museum looks to future (Kelham Island)

WHEN John Hamshere arrived as chief executive of the struggling Kelham Island Museum in 1994, he was fully prepared for a challenge.

The centre, which had opened with great fanfare in 1982, had faced the threat of closure for several years.
Visitor numbers had fallen off a cliff, council funding had dried up and the exhibitions, while impressive enough to win second place at Britain’s Best Museum awards in 1983, had not changed since.

For sure, the new boss knew turning the place round would be a huge task.

But, arriving that first day in his suit and tie, what he didn’t expect was to spend the next six months in a boiler suit sifting through decades of muck, dust and abandoned industrial equipment...

“You think when you’re the chief executive you get away from that,” says the 53-year-old today. “But desperate times...”

Those desperate times have long since passed, of course.

The museum will reach its landmark 30th anniversary on Monday in rude health. Some £4 million has been invested since 1994, exhibition space has trebled, and income admissions have increased by 90 per cent in the last six years.

But back then things were different. And so John found himself pulling on that boiler suit...

“I was approached by the museum trust’s founding chairman, Sir Norman Adsetts, about displaying his early 20th century Sheffield Simplex Car – the only surviving one of its kind,” he explains. “I knew straight away it would bring visitors back but we had nowhere to put it.

“The only place big enough was the upstairs of the main building but that had several tonnes of industrial equipment in there and there was no-one to move it. So me and a couple of staff members did it. We spent six months clearing everything, cleaning it and finally using the Simplex as a centre piece for a transport exhibition. And it was a huge success.”

It was also a turning point.

Since then the museum has never stopped improving, with its most popular attractions including the restored 1905 River Don Engine, Ken Hawley’s collection of 100,000 industrial tools and the Melting Shop play area.

It is also home to England’s last Bessemer Converter, several little mester workshops and that Sheffield Simplex car, which was given a permanent home there after that exhibition.

“It’s taken a long time to get to this point,” says John, a father-of-two who lives in Ecclesfield. “But when you’re here and you see people enjoying themselves it makes it all worthwhile. I genuinely believe this is one of the finest industrial museums in the country.”

The idea for the Kelham Island Museum was first mooted in the late 19th century.

Advocates said turning a part of Sheffield’s oldest industrial quarter – the site was home to a 12th century mill race – into a museum would safeguard the city’s heritage.

But it was only in the 1970s a realistic proposal was worked up by Sheffield Council, with the museum finally opening in 1982.

“It was an immediate hit,” explains John. “It was very much cutting edge at the time. This wasn’t a place where there were dusty exhibitions in glass cabinets; it was always about letting people feel, touch and smell Sheffield’s history.”

Indeed, it was so well received that in 1985 the entire surrounding area was named as Sheffield’s first industrial conservation area.

But the success did not last. By the early 1990s, the recession meant funding was cut which resulted in visitor numbers falling.

For several years there was talk of closure until council bosses decided to make one last fist of it.

They founded Kelham Island Museum Limited to take over the day-to-day running – an act which immediately opened up several funding streams – and advertised for a new chief executive.

It was this advert which John, who grew up in Birmingham, saw. He was then museums officer at Allerdale Borough Council but jumped at the chance to try and revive this centre’s flagging fortunes.

“In the early 1980s I visited the place as a student to see the River Don steam engine,” he says. “I was blown away. It’s a remarkable machine. So when I heard the museum was in danger of shutting and the engine being moth-balled, I was devastated. When I saw the job advertised I had to go for it.”

Working with Sheffield Hallam University, his first act was to open an education zone followed by that Melting Shop play area.

“The museum is about history but it’s about the future too,” says John. “We wanted children to come here and be inspired to be the next generation of engineers so immediately we said our focus had to be on making young people want to come here and keep coming back.”
It worked.
Numbers soon began improving and that was only the start.

In 2001, the museum’s first ever refurbishment was undertaken. It cost some £2 million – much of it in two grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund – and took five years but it meant the site was completely transformed for the first time since 1982.

“It also meant,” says John, “we could fix every roof for the first time.”

Lifts were installed, the main gallery was refurbished, the transport gallery was created and new stores were installed as part of the scheme.

And then? The 2007 flood came.

“And it washed away pretty much everything we’d done,” says John. “I was actually writing a risk assessment at the time. I was writing about financial risks but never once thought there was any physical danger.”

It turned out there was.

When the River Don rose, the museum was one of its first victims with more £1.5 million worth of damage done in less than 24 hours.

“I remember going in the next day and seeing a decade of work washed away,” says John.
The good news is there was a happy ending.

“The insurance company was brilliant,” he says. “They told us ‘Whatever needs doing, do it’. We didn’t know it at the time but I suppose what we got was a second refurbishment for free. You couldn’t call it a blessing because we had to limit opening for two years and our visitor numbers fell but at least there was a silver lining.”

And since then the museum has carried on going from strength to strength.

There are now 45,000 visitors a year, the annual Victorian Christmas Fair is one of the best-loved festive events in the region and the museum is looking keenly to the future.

“We’re 30 years old,” says John. “But we’re only just starting.”

Kelham Island Museum will celebrate it’s 30th anniversary with a series of summer events. For details visit www.simt.co.uk

Three must-sees at Kelham Island Museum
1 The Bessemer Converter: One of only three converters left in the world, this was used by the British Steel Corporation in Workington until 1975. It is an example of the revolutionary steel making process which first took place in Sheffield.
2 The River Don Engine: The most powerful working steam engine remaining in Europe, this 12,000 horse power machine was built by Davy Brothers of Sheffield in 1905 to drive Charles Cammell’s armour plate rolling mill in Grimesthorpe.
3 The Grand Slam Bomb: These were the heaviest bombs in the world – and they were made by Vickers & Co at their River Don Works. Only 30 to 40 were ever used during the final days of World War Two.

From: http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/unique-museum-looks-to-future-1-4481262

News - Antique quarter plans progress (Sheffield)

TRADERS’ plans to recognise an area of Sheffield as the city’s official ‘Antiques Quarter’ are forging ahead.

Business owners held a ‘successful’ first meeting with the city council and community groups about the proposals for Broadfield Road, Heeley, on Monday.

Now traders hope to develop a marketing strategy, and to apply for permission to put up brown signs directing visitors to the area.

Hendrika Stephens, owner of The Corner Gallery, said: “The meeting couldn’t have gone better.
“It just seemed as though everyone was 100 per cent behind the idea.”

 Further meetings are planned in the coming weeks.

From: http://www.thestar.co.uk/community/antique-quarter-plans-progress-1-4481464

Article - H is for... Samuel Holberry (1814-1842) (Sheffield)

QUITE where Samuel Holberry sits in the annals of history is still open to some debate.

Undoubtedly he was a man of great liberal vision, a tireless campaigner for universal suffrage and a working class hero.

But this Chartist, of Eyre Street, city centre, was also someone who, in attempting to further his cause, sought to bring unparalleled terror to the streets of Sheffield.

Holberry was born in Nottinghamshire but moved here in 1835 after leaving the army and taking work as a distiller.

He had long held radical views but he became convinced working men must take up arms after various Chartist meetings were broken up in Sheffield by heavy-handed police.

On January 12 1840, Holberry led some 200 men in an attempt to seize control of the Town Hall in Waingate and spark a nationwide revolution.

That it would be bloody, he had no doubt. Gun shops were plundered, Holberry stockpiled hand grenades and spikes were laid across Snig Hill in a bid to cripple any troops rushing into town.
As it turned out, not a single shot was fired.

A Rotherham landlord infiltrated secret meetings and passed information to police who were able to round up the revolutionaries as they gathered.

Holberry was sentenced to four years in York Gaol where he died of consumption aged just 27.

Tellingly, more than 50,000 Sheffielders attended his funeral at the city’s General Cemetery, while a commemorative cascade today stands in the Peace Gardens.

from: http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/h-is-for-samuel-holberry-1814-1842-1-4481488

News - Cultural and Commercial Office Space at Welbeck Abbey

Thanks to the vision of country estate owners, William and Alison Parente, Welbeck Abbey in Nottinghamshire looks set to become serviced office space and a sustainable community for teaching artisan skills and cultural business.

The couple inherited the vast 15,000 acre property dating back to the 12th century in 2008 upon the death of Mr Parente’s aunt, the Lady Anne Cavendish-Bentinck, descended of the Dukes of Portland.

With Mr Parente’s interest in fine art and culture in business and Mrs Parente’s involvement with artisan foods, the couple are putting into motion a vision of the Welbeck Estate as a vast training ground for a new kind of approach to traditional commercialism.

Recently appointed as Development Director for the project, chartered surveyor and degree-educated art enthusiast, Rob Mayo, states that he was given a brief that would ultimately lead to the regeneration of Welbeck as a hub of culture and commerce:

“It is about creating a sustainable community based on the four pillars: creative business, the arts, rural diversification and education,” says Mr Mayo. “It is about trying to find new uses for our buildings, but not just any old use, and particularly focused on creative business and education.

“Rural diversification gives a fair amount of flexibility – businesses related to food, food production, artisan foods.”

Among these are courses in the traditional practices of bread and cheese making, as well as an educational brewery and butchery.

In total, the Welbeck Abbey Estate totals hundreds of thousands of square feet of space, thousands of which have been set aside for a new lease of life as serviced office space.

From: http://www.officebroker.com/blog/2012/04/24/Cultural+and+Commercial+Office+Space+at+Welbeck+Abbey_FTOC24042012634687/

Friday 20 April 2012

News - Manor house concerns grow (Bingham)

Concerns have again been raised about the future of one of Bingham’s oldest buildings.

The Manor House and neighbouring cottage on Market Place have been empty for more than a decade.

The Mayor of Bingham, Mrs Maureen Stockwood, said the town council should continue pressing to try to get the owner to improve the state of the buildings.

“It is a wonderful market place that is being spoiled by this building standing empty,” she said.

“Because it is on the ‘at risk’ register and one of our focal points, we need to be making a lot more noise as a town council.

“We have done it before but I want to do it again.”

The Manor House is believed to date from around 1700 and, although Rushcliffe Borough Council imposed a Compulsory Purchase Order on the building in 2008, it was never enforced because the owner complied in full with a repairs notice that was issued.

This meant the building was made wind and weather tight and was ensured to be structurally sound

Another town councillor, Mrs Jacqui Marshall, said it was a waste as it stood unused.

“People have asked what is being done. I wonder why the owners don’t do anything with it or let other people use it,” she said.

The town’s county councillor, Mr Martin Suthers, said that as far as scandals went, it was on a par with the former Pioneer Co-op building in Eaton Place, which has also stood empty for around the same length of time.

He said: “It is a wasted opportunity. The owner is just playing a game with us.”

Mr Paul Randle, the borough council’s deputy chief executive, said it had recently been brought to the council’s attention that the Manor House roof had been damaged.

“We are in the process of working to resolve this situation through the appropriate channels,” he said.

“Although we acknowledge that the building is unattractive in its current state, regrettably the council only has powers to prevent further deterioration in its condition.

“The building is still in private ownership, therefore the borough council does not have any plans for the building.

“I understand that, even though the owners complied with the notice, this did not necessarily improve the overall external appearance of the building.”

From: http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4006203653120154411#editor/target=post;postID=5025942360293376586

Thursday 19 April 2012

News - Kim Streets takes over at Museums Sheffield

A new leader has been appointed for Sheffield's museums.


Kim Streets, who has worked in the city's museums since 1991, took over as Museums Sheffield chief executive on Wednesday.

Her appointment follows the departure of Nick Dodd, who decided to take voluntary redundancy in February amid job losses.

In February, 44 redundancies were announced after the organisation lost out on an Arts Council funding bid.

Ms Streets, who has lived in Sheffield since 1986, began her career as a social history curator before becoming director of learning at Museums Sheffield.

Cheaper exhibitions
She said morale was "tough" with 44 out of 107 jobs going by September.

Museums Sheffield said every area of the organisation would be affected by the redundancies and 13 people have already left.

"There are a combination of voluntary and compulsory redundancies. Everyone knows their individual position," said Ms Streets.

"We're saying goodbye to people who have worked here longer than I have - 25, 30 years. People are very sad, and they're also fearful for their own jobs and what the future might hold."

Ms Streets said the next step was to stabilise the organisation while putting on less expensive exhibitions.

"We have some fab sites and some great collections," she said.

"We need to get real about what we can afford - make the most of the assets based here in Sheffield.

"We'll be looking at shows that aren't necessarily as expensive as some we've had recently."

Ms Streets said when she joined Sheffield's museums in 1991, the financial situation was similar.

"[In 1991] we had no money, a small team and the prospect of year-on-year cuts.

"But we managed to do great things with the resources we had."

Transitional funding from the Arts Council meant Museums Sheffield could go ahead with their planned summer exhibitions.

From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-17766839

Wednesday 18 April 2012

News - Campaigners plead for time in fight to save the Maltings (Beeston)

BEESTON Maltings looks set to be demolished, but campaigners are still working to save it.


They say the building will be razed on May 7 and are asking for more time to explore all options for the site.

Barbara Selwood, of Beeston and District Civic Society, said people should have their say over plans to demolish the building.

An application for demolition has been registered with Broxtowe Borough Council.

The council has said it cannot refuse permission to demolish the building, which has stood for 133 years. It was closed in 2001.

Mrs Selwood said: "It feels as if a lot of this is being rushed and we would like more time to get councillors and members of the public on our side.

"We have done what we can and we want to make sure everyone has the chance to raise an objection if they want to see the Maltings kept in their current form. I don't want the building left to rot, but I want to see all the alternatives explored – it's important the building has a use."

She said she was considering lobbying for an article four direction for the site – which would give the Maltings more protection against development.

The orders, which have to be sent from councils and confirmed by the Government, are intended to protect high quality architecture and preserve heritage.

The East Midlands Association of Civic and Heritage Societies (EMACHS) has also criticised the plans.

Advisor Ian Wells said: "They stand proudly opposite the Victoria Hotel – two fine Victorian structures together.

"These buildings form a group at the west end of Beeston Station and they contribute together very well to the streetscape, and indeed to the view as seen from a train– they contribute importantly to the railway setting.

"Although the Maltings was refused listing by English Heritage, the building still remains of immense local importance – there is potential for a discreet and sympathetic enabling development elsewhere on the site.

"The Maltings, adapted sensitively for new use if necessary, must stay."

Mr Wells said EMACHS would want the developer to keep the 'helter-skelter' feature on the north side of the building.

David Jones, a spokesman for Heineken, previously told the Post that the Maltings had been redundant for many years and that demolition was the best way to end the constant safety and security problems associated with the building.

From: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Campaigners-plead-time-fight-save-Maltings/story-15848163-detail/story.html

Event - St George's Day medieval fun (Nottingham)

A CITY pub will host archery and medieval stunt fighting as part of its St George's Day celebrations.


Ye Old Trip to Jerusalem will transform the grounds of the Brewhouse Yard Museum into a medieval village on Saturday, and Sunday. Visitors can have a go at archery, stunt fighting and a jester school. Admission is free and the event runs from 11am to 3pm each day.

All proceeds will go to the Lord Mayor of Nottingham's charity the Army Benevolent Fund. On Monday, April 23, the national day which commemorates England's patron saint, St George will arrive at the Old Trip to Jerusalem on horseback.

From: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/St-George-s-Day-medieval-fun/story-15838161-detail/story.html

Tuesday 17 April 2012

Events - Silkstone Waggonway Survey/Rockley Furnace and Engine House Survey (Silkstone/Stainborough)

Silkstone Waggonway Survey Launch - May 2nd (2012) 6.30pm, Pot House Hamlet, Silkstone


Over the past 6 months the Industrial Heritage Programme has been funding an archaeological survey of the Silkstone Waggonway - an early horse-drawn railway that carried coal and other minerals along the valley from Silkstone Common to Barnby Basin (at Cawthorne). The work has been carried out by ArcHeritage working in collaboration with the Roggins Local History Group and members of Heritage Silkstone and has included numerous archive visits, measured survey and using Ground-Penetrating-Radar (GPR) to find and map buried sleeper stones along the route. This research is now being brought together in a report, and the results (including some new discoveries) will be presented at a free public event at the Pot House Hamlet in Silkstone on May 2nd (2012). Come along and find out about the exciting industrial heritage on your doorstep!

There will also be a chance to visit Silkstone Church after the presentations to see some of the conservation work that is taking place there. For more information about the Silkstone Waggonway please visit the Roggins website - http://www.priorycampus.co.uk/rlhg/roggins.php?p=waggonway

Rockley Furnace and Engine House Survey Launch - May 17th (2012) 6.30pm, St. James' Hall, Wentworth Castle, Stainborough

Over the past 6 months the Industrial Heritage Programme has also been funding an in-depth archaeological survey of Rockley Furnace and Engine House, an early 18th century blast furnace and iron mining site on Rockley Lane (near Birdwell). This has also been carried out by ArcHeritage, this time in collaboration with the South Yorkshire Industrial History Society and has included 3d scanning of the entire site, including the Furnace and Engine House buildings. The results of this survey, including some of the fantastic 3-dimensional images, will be presented at a public event at Wentworth Castle, Stainborough on May 17th (2012). Come along and find out more about this national important, but little known, Industrial Heritage gem!

Both events start at 18.30 and are free, but places do need to be booked in advance via contact Tegwen (tegwen@epip.org.uk) Light refreshments will be served.

News - Transported back in time down at the Sheffield farm

YOUNGSTERS dug out their wellies and got messy as they were taken back to the Iron Age at a Sheffield farm.


Children and volunteers have been helping out with Heeley City Farm’s long-running roundhouse reconstruction project at a special open day.

Sally Rodgers, farm community heritage officer, said: “We have been making and daubing the walls – everyone enjoyed themselves and most importantly we all got very muddy.”

“The children have been using ancient techniques to create Sheffield’s first roundhouse since the Iron Age.”

Work on the world’s first multi-purpose roundhouse, which has hosted both an Easter egg hunt and Santa Claus, begain in August 2008. It has no set completion date.

Sally said: “Our aim is to get as many people as possible involved in some hands-on heritage.

“These open days are open to everyone – families, volunteers and the general public.”

It is part of a Lottery-funded scheme, Digging Our Roots, which is designed to encourage young people to explore Sheffield’s farming history.

The eco-friendly farm will be hosting another roundhouse event in June when the inside of the building will be painted and decorated.

The site will then be used as an outdoor classroom and experimental archaeology centre for university students when it is eventually completed.

From: http://www.thestar.co.uk/community/transported-back-in-time-down-at-the-sheffield-farm-1-4453605

Event - The Archaeology of Creswell Crags (Various locations)

A talk by local author Matthew Beresford to celebrate the launch of his new book 'Beyond the Ice: Creswell Crags and its place in a wider European context' at the following venues:


• Creswell Crags, Saturday 21st April, 3pm
• Southwell Library, Tuesday 24th April, 7pm
• Newark Library, Wednesday 25th April, 7.30pm
• North Muskham Heritage Group, Thursday 3rd May, 7.15pm
• Friends of Moor Pond Wood, Papplewick, Wednesday 30th May, 7pm
• Chesterfield Library, Tuesday 12th June, 7.30pm
• Lowdham Book Festival, Lowdham, Saturday 30th June, 2pm

Plus talks at Bingham Library & Bolsover Library, dates TBC

For more information contact matt@mbarchaeology.co.uk

Event - Sheffield & District Family History Fair

The annual Sheffield and District Family History Fair will take place on Saturday 21 April 2012 To be held at ‘Centre in the Park’, Norfolk Heritage Park, Guildford Avenue , Sheffield S2 2PL between 10.00 and 16.00. Many of the local & national family history societies will be attending and there will be many stalls selling genealogical publications, books, maps, CD’s, floppy discs & microfiche, computer software, free database searches and help desk facilities. Car parking is adjacent to Guildford Avenue Entrance and admission is free.

Exhibitors attending are
My History
Friends of Wardsend Cemetry
Chris Makepeace Maps
Barnsley FHS
Friends of Manor Lodge
Bradfield Archives
Totley History Group
Doncaster FHS
National Coal Mining Museum
Rotherham FHS
Friends of Burngreave Cemetry
Robert Blatchford Publishing
Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy and Heraldry
York & Lancaster Regimental Museum
Pamela Elliott Local Prints
Heeley History Workshop
Gleadless Valley History Group
Cobweb Postcards
Dore Village Society
Find Your Roots
Evacuees Reunion Association
Dore Oral History Group
Guild of One Name Studies
Wyvern Midland Railway Index
Norton History Group
Northern General Hospital History Project
Nottingham Family History Society
Lancashire Family History & Heraldry Society
Sheffield General Cemetery Trust
Photohappenings
Hope Genealogy Group
War Memorials
Sheffield Archives
The Star
Second Hand Book Stall
 
For further information go to http://www.sheffieldfhs.org.uk/fair.htm

Monday 16 April 2012

Event - Rattlejag Morris–May Day Sunrise (Laxton)

Rattlejag Morris will be singing and dancing to celebrate the first sunrise of summer from 5.20 am on Tuesday 1st May, hoping to witness the sun appearing magically over the fields of Laxton as it has kindly done for many of the last 30 years or so.


Everyone is very welcome to join in this unique event at the ancient, scenic remains of Laxton motte and bailey and afterwards refresh themselves with barbecued bacon or sausage butties and beer (or maybe tea!). A free event, although we ask for a small donation for the breakfast, and if you do wish to come, please wear sturdy clothing to cross the field to the castle mound. For further news, please check out our website www.rattlejagmorris.org.uk.

To make the experience more worthwhile, Stuart Rose, local Laxton farmer and historian, will follow afterwards with a Dawn Chorus Walk around the Anglo-Saxon field system, accompanied by a wildlife expert. For information and to book on this fascinating ramble see the website at http://www.laxtonnotts.org.uk/Guided_walks.htm or contact him directly on 01777 871702 / 07939 228353.

Friday 13 April 2012

Event - Titanic SOS man helped save lives (Louthwell/Lowdham)

A wireless operator hailed a hero for his part in the operation to pick up survivors from the Titanic could be honoured with a plaque in his native Nottinghamshire.


The first SOS call from the Titanic was received by wireless operator Mr Harold Thomas Cottam, 21, of Southwell

Mr Harold Cottam — a little-known son of Southwell who later lived in Lowdham — was just 21 when he was first to pick up the Morse code distress call from the stricken liner.

Tomorrow marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, which hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic on its maiden voyage on the night of April 14/15, 1912.

About 1,500 men, women and children perished in the icy waters, but Mr Cottam’s fast actions are credited with saving hundreds of lives.

Mr Cottam, who was born on Church Street, Southwell, and attended the Minster Grammar School, was working on the SS Carpathia, a passenger steam ship sailing from New York City to Fiume (then in Austria-Hungary, now Rijeka, Croatia).

On receiving the SOS call, he woke the skipper, Captain Arthur Henry Rostron, who ordered the vessel to steam to Titanic’s aid.

It was three hours before the Carpathia reached Titanic, which had already sunk.

Despite the terrible loss of life, experts agree if it was not for Mr Cottam, who lived in Lowdham for many years before his death in 1984, aged 93, many of the 705 survivors would have also perished.

On the three-day trip back to New York after the tragedy, Mr Cottam worked with barely any sleep sending wireless messages to survivors’ loved ones.

Among the messages was one to his mother, Mrs Jane Cottam, which read: “Am safe and well. Detained in New York for Senatorial exhibition.

“Am leaving for Washington tomorrow. Home as soon as possible. Love from Harold.”

On the ship’s arrival in New York, Mr Cottam was hailed a hero with a headline in the New York Times reading: “Boy Wireless Saved Them. Rescues Resulted From Cottam’s Untiring Devotion To Duty.”

Maritime historian Mr Graham Anthony, of Cambridge, hopes to have a plaque in memory of Mr Cottam erected in Lowdham in June, and is also looking to have one at The Minster School, Southwell.

Mr Anthony said: “There are some 700 memorials to Titanic people around the world, but not a single one to 21-year-old Harold Thomas Cottam.

“It was his diligence and skill that picked up the SOS call and it was his courage to alert his captain.

“Without Harold Thomas Cottam there would have been no story because everyone would have frozen to death.

“In my opinion he is the most important person in the whole of the Titanic saga, and that is why we should be celebrating his achievements.”

The chairman of Southwell Town Council, Mr Roger Dobson, said he was previously unaware of Mr Cottam’s connections to the town but thought he should be recognised.

Mr Dobson said: “It’s a lovely story and it will definitely be something I raise with the local history groups.”

Mr Cottam served on several more ships before going on to work at the ROF Gun Factory in The Meadows, Nottingham.

Despite becoming a hero he tried to avoid the limelight.

Nottinghamshire Archives has a Titanic display this month documenting those from Nottinghamshire related to the disaster, including Mr Cottam, and three men who were missing presumed dead.

The men working on board at the time were William Moss and Albert Edward Lane, both saloon stewards, and William Ewatt Caunt, a grill cook.

From: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Titanic-SOS-man-helped-save-lives

News - Nine museums to take part in £75k Art Fund Collect (Sheffield)

The nine museums that will take part in this year’s Art Fund Collect, the £75,000 scheme, which offers UK museums the chance to develop their contemporary craft collections, have been named. And the list contains a few familiar faces.


Of the nine museums chosen, six have previously been shortlisted, with Beaney Art Museum, National Museum of Scotland and Touchstones Rochdale completely new to the scheme. What’s more, five of the six previous participants have gone on to be successful in acquiring work through Art Fund Collect.

The nine museum curators chosen to take part in Art Fund Collect are:
Aberdeen City Art Gallery: Alison Fraser
Beaney Art Museum and Library, Canterbury: Krystyna Matyjaszkiewicz
National Museum Wales, Cardiff: Rachel Conroy
National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh: Rosina Buckland
Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter: Tony Eccles and Holly Morgenroth
Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester: Jennifer Harris
Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery: Francesca Vanke
Museums Sheffield: Lucy Cooper
Touchstones Rochdale: Yvonne Hardman

These nine museums, and their curators, will attend a special preview of COLLECT, Europe's leading fair for international contemporary objects on Thursday 10 May 2012.

Once there they will have just one hour to explore the fair and select the object they most want to see added to their museum’s collection - defending their choice in a presentation to a panel of experts.

The successful curators will then be able to purchase the object from a £75,000 fund.

Last year’s winning institutions were: Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery; Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery; National Museum Cardiff; Leeds Art Gallery; Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery; Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter; Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art; and Nottingham Castle Museum and Art Gallery.

Stephen Deuchar, Director of the Art Fund, said: "The calibre of applications to this edition of Art Fund Collect was exceptional, and the final shortlist speaks superbly of the range and sophistication of curatorial talent in the UK working on the collection and interpretation of contemporary craft.

"We can’t wait to see how each curator will respond to the opportunity presented by the scheme."

From: http://www.mandh-online.com/news/content/1844/nine_museums_to_take_part_in_75k_art_fund_collect



Thursday 12 April 2012

Excavation - Mons Pool (Nottinghamshire)

Mons Pool Excavation

Mons Pool Excavation, near Collingham, will be open to Nottinghamshire’s Community archaeology volunteer diggers once again this year. For those who don't know the site, it is a multi-period settlement by the River Trent near Collingham (photos from previous years are up in the 'see what we do' section on the NCC website). It's a multi-period settlement stretching from the Late Roman period all the way back into Stone Age prehistory. It's a really great site, owned by LaFarge and excavated by the University of Salford. Excavation has taken place there for several years as the site is due to become a quarry. For the past few years Community Archaeology has worked with the University of Salford's team to open the site to volunteers, through the Heritage Lottery Funded Trent Vale project. This year is the LAST YEAR of excavation on the site, so this will be your last chance to contribute to the exploration of this settlement.

30th July to 3rd August - Archaeological Field School
This week is the Field School week. If you are interested in really getting to grips with archaeological fieldwork and learning about all the processes, then this week is for you! If you want to attend the field school you will be asked to come for the full 5 days, during which time they will take you through the processes of excavation and hopefully give you a really good grounding. This week will be ideal for the student or keen amateur. No experience necessary.

6th August to 17th August - Volunteer Excavation Fortnight
This fortnight is for anyone to come along to, whether you want to try your hand at excavation just for a day, or if you want to come for a longer period. No experience is necessary as we will take you through the processes. Please note; this is a commercial site and as such Community Archaeology are unable to offer weekend sessions.

18th August - Open Day
The dig site will be open to visitors, with finds on display and guided tours of the archaeology.

During the excavation there will be a variety of workshops for volunteers to get involved in, as well as the opportunity to help reconstruct one of the Roman pottery kilns found on the site. More details will be available as we get closer to July.

E-mail community.archaelogy@nottscc.gov.uk you would like to take part, or if you want to book. Spaces are limited and will be allocated on a first-come-first served basis. The excavation is unsuitable for young children, and anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Community Archaeology - Norwell Graveyard Survey (Notts)

On Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd May Nottinghamshire County Councils Community Archaeology team will be returning to Norwell churchyard to continue with the survey of the gravestones there. The survey involves recording the inscriptions on the gravestones as well as their condition and decoration. No experience is necessary as they will take you through the process.


They will be there between 10am and 3pm both days. There is a toilet at the church but you are advised to bring you own lunch and wear suitable clothing appropriate to the weather. You might also like to bring a folding stool, kneeling mat, or picnic blanket if you have one, as you will probably end up sitting on the grass in order to read the inscriptions. The road by the church is also quite narrow, so please ensure that you park sensibly and respectfully, allowing ample space for farm machinery to pass. This may mean you have to park a little further up the road into the village.

If you'd like to come along please contact Emily at community.archaeology@nottscc.gov.uk to let her have an idea of numbers.

In addition, they can offer limited lifts from Trent Bridge House, West Bridgford, leaving at 9am. If this is of interest to you please get in touch. Spaces are on a first-come-first served basis.

Events - Hunter’s Sheffield Visits (Sheffield)

The Hunter Archaeological Society are organising three visits around Sheffield on Sunday 13th May 2012 to celebrate their centenary. An excursion showcases three current community archaeology projects, while two guided walks look at places connected with the antiquarian Joseph Hunter, from who the Society takes its name.

There are three guided walks and excursions to choose from:

1. Coach excursion to visit three very active community projects in the Sheffield area – Manor Lodge, Heeley City Farm and Wincobank. This will leave Paternoster Row outside the Showroom Cinema at 10am and return to the same point at 4 - 4.30pm. Lunch will be available at Heeley City Farm at a cost of £5 per head.

2. Guided walk around the non-conformist landscape of Sheffield led by Pat Wagner, leaving the junction of Glossop Road and Clarkehouse Road at 10am, lasting around 2 hours. This will visit the Wesleyan College, the Botanical Gardens and the General Cemetery.

3. Guided walk around Sheffield city centre circa 1800, looking at sites particularly connected with Joseph Hunter, led by Ruth Morgan. This will leave from in front of Sheffield Town Hall on Pinstone Street at 2pm and last around 2 hours.

To book a place pleaser contact Ruth Morgan, Hon Secretary, Royd Farm, Carr Road, Deepcar, Sheffield S36 2NR, tel 0114 288 2640, email secretary@hunterarchaeologicalsociety.org.uk. Booking forms are also available on web www.hunterarchaeologicalsociety.org.uk

All are FREE.

Event - Shared Pasts: democratic traditions in British archaeology (Sheffield)

The conference marks the centenary of the Hunter Archaeological Society by bringing together archaeological and historical societies from around the country. The contributors and delegates at the conference will celebrate the tradition of ‘community heritage’ to which the Society continues to contribute.


The speakers at will review the history of public participation in British archaeology and map out the future for our ‘common heritage’ as the discipline faces economic constraints and challenges to social cohesion. They will also showcase a number of current projects. Speakers include Prof Mike Parker-Pearson (Sheffield University), Melanie Giles (Manchester), David Allen (Hampshire Museum), Anwen Cooper (Oxford), Faye Simpson (Manchester Metropolitan) and Jon Kenny (York Archaeological Trust).

Societies are invited to provide stalls about their groups and projects in a public area.

Venue: Sheffield Hallam University, http://www.shu.ac.uk/university/city-scene.php?building=FurnivalBuilding

12 May 2012 Time: 9:30am – 5:30pm.

For more information, a booking form or to book a stall contact Ruth Morgan, Hon Secretary, Royd Farm, Carr Road, Deepcar, Sheffield S36 2NR, tel 0114 288 2640, email secretary@hunterarchaeologicalsociety.org.uk. Booking forms are also available on web http://www.hunterarchaeologicalsociety.org.uk/.

The cost is £12 (waged), £6 (unwaged).

Event - Windmills and Watermills of Nottinghamshire (Ollerton)

There will be a talk by Mr Lynne Clarke of Old Warsop Society on Wednesday 25th April between 14.30 and 15.30 at Ollerton Library. Free refreshments will be available and no booking is required. Phone 01623 860274 for more details.

Event - Tea and History (Laxton)

Laxton History Group is holding a ‘Tea and History’ Day on Saturday 14th April at Laxton Village Hall, Main Street. There will be two talks about the history of Laxton place names – the first begins at 12.00 and the second at 14.30pm.  There will  also be an exhibit about Laxton schools and information about the village.

The event is a drop in, so please come any time between 11.00 and 16.00. Admission is £2.50 per person including a free drink and a piece of home-made cake.

News - Cannon ball kid digs up Civil War relic (Balderton)

A youngster has had his enthusiasm for history fired up after unearthing a cannon ball in his back garden.


Charlie West, 8, of Kennedy Walk, Balderton, was digging a vegetable patch for his mum at the weekend when he made the discovery, which is believed to date back to the English Civil War.

“I don’t know exactly how old it is, but I know it’s very old,” he said. “I would like to do some research and find out where it came from.”

Charlie’s mother, Mrs Lorraine West, said they hoped to visit Newark and Sherwood District Council’s resource centre on Brunel Drive to try to verify the date of the cannon ball.

“His spade just hit metal. It is amazing it happened to be in the dirt and not under the garage or the path,” she said.

Charlie, a pupil at Chuter Ede Primary School, Balderton, plans to take the cannon ball to show his class on Monday.

During the English Civil War Newark was under siege three times. In the final siege in 1645 Colonel Rossiter, a Parliamentary commander, was camped at Balderton.

Mr Glynn Hopkins, of Carlton-on-Trent, a member of the English Civil War Society, said it was likely the cannon ball wasn’t fired but was left behind by the Parliamentarians.

From: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Cannon-ball-kid-digs-up-Civil-War-relic

Wednesday 11 April 2012

News - New South Yorkshire WW2 memorial planned for heroes (Rotherham)

the names of servicemen from Rotherham killed during World War Two will be listed on a monument in the town’s Clifton Park if enough funds can be raised.


The Friends of Clifton Park have raised £8,500 so far to help pay for the monument, but need a total of £30,000.

The group says although most villages in the town have their own war memorials there is not a central one in Rotherham bearing the names of everyone killed.

Members have contacted the War Graves Commission and have a list of 1,217 names they want included.

To make sure everyone from the town killed in the line of duty is included, and all named are spelled correctly, the list of servicemen is on display in the Garden House in Clifton Park between 9am and 5pm daily.

Friends of Clifton Park want relatives to check the list so that any mistakes can be rectified before the monument is commissioned.

From: http://www.thestar.co.uk/community/new-south-yorkshire-ww2-memorial-planned-for-heroes-1-4436171

Tuesday 10 April 2012

Article - Sheffield Food Riots 1812

Another article for you lucky South Yorkshire Historians, if you use this for any article could you please put in a link to this blogsite, Cheers Dave Cook Edited 17/04 and 01/05with extra information from the Luddite bicentenary blogsite and details held in the National archive :

200 years ago this week the men and women of Sheffield had finally had enough of poor wages, lack of jobs and escalating food prices and came out in force to protest against the government and military suppression which had built up in the area with the rise of Luddite activities.
During the early part of 1812 around a hundred men had been working on the new 2 ½ acre plot of land off Broad Lane assigned for St. Georges church in the north west of the town collecting nearby clay deposits to level the land.  Dressed in rags and forced to wear clogs as a ‘badge of receiving parish relief’ (probably the first people in the West Riding to have to wear them). these men had been a skilled cutlers but recent events meant there was no work and without work they had been reduced to moving out of their rented properties to the worst place imaginable – the Workhouse. The main Sheffield Workhouse was located at this time on West Bar and Bower Lane and was built around 1736 (the other at Rock Street, Pitsmoor was built in 1801). A shortage of coins also meant the workhouse produced their own gold, silver and copper coinage, this meant that they could only buy produce from local shops that were willing to take these as payment and redeem them at the workhouse and this was often open to abuse and inflated prices. The Napoleonic wars had been dragging on for several years and trade with Europe had been severely dented due to the ‘continental System’ which was an attempt to cut the UK off from all links with European trade. Although not entirely successful it had created a massive feeling of community unrest and poverty which had in turn created the Luddite uprisings of 1812.  American Congress had placed a prohibition on British manufacturers which was also creating mass unemployment in the country, the worst since the 1760’s. A petition sent to Parliament on 17th March 1812 was signed by 10,000 people from the Sheffield area condemning the Orders in Council system
There were also strong negotiations being held by the master Cutler and Corporation of Cutlers regard to the East Indian Company Act which was due for renewal and on Monday April 6th Earl Fitzwilliam, The Duke of Norfolk, the Earl of Buckinghamshire and Earl Grey went to have a meeting in the Cutlers Hall to argue over the monopoly the company held.  Towns including Sheffield, Birmingham, Whitby and Liverpool were petitioning against the continuation with the Act due to high shipping costs and low quota space on its ships. This was partially due to the ships being dual use and able to be quickly refitted as warships.   Sheffield and Birmingham were particularly interested in opening up the export market so unemployment could be reduced.
From this information we can gather that tension was high in the town, unemployment was rife, morale was low, food was expensive, the population of the town was steadily rising (69,275 in 1811 compared to 60,095 in 1801) and the future looked bleak. One contemporary account states “Never in my memory has there been in Sheffield so bad and distressing a time”. The people in charge were well aware of this and on the 7th April the Sheffield Regiments of Yeomanry Cavalry and Local Militia were pressed into service to assist in preserving the peace of the town.

On Tuesday April 14th 1812 at noon the men working on the new graveyard had decided enough was enough and marched down to the corn market  around Prior Lane, King Street and Hartshead (now the area around Argos and the tram stop), walked around the area before marching back to their work.  This was to trigger an instantaneous reaction from the people of the town mainly directed at the potato dealers.  The price of this everyday item had been rising sharply due to several bad harvests due to floods and droughts throughout Britain over the previous four years (corn was a t 26 shillings per Winchester bushel and fine flour was 5 shillings per stone). The locals including women and children grabbed all the food they could during the disturbance, this included butter, potatoes, red herrings taken from a smashed barrel and sacks of corn. Windows were smashed by the gangs and effigies of millers had nooses put around their necks and hung.  The Magistrates and Peace Officers came out on to the street to try and restore law and order, the rioting was quelled by around 2 o’clock and most people returned to their everyday chores.  It was reported that all the food taken was hidden in as many places as possible by the looters and retrieving the goods was nearly impossible.
However some of the crowd were that enraged they reformed shouting "All in a mind for the Volunteer arms!"  They made their way to the militia depositary, a store room previously occupied by Jonathan Hobson, in Brightside at the bottom of Spital Hill across from a public house called The Star. This building was only guarded by two soldiers Sergeant Thomas Flathes and Captain Best. The crowd was small to begin with - estimated at 5/6 men and 40-50 boys but this soon grew to around 4-5,000 people. The crowd started throwing stones at the building smashing all the windows.  According to a contemporary account by one of the guards he was called a “blue back’d bugger”.  The soldiers had no ammunition at the store so fixed bayonets to their rifles and prepared for the worst. Flathes and Best decided not to defend the site such was the anger of the crowd fled fearing for their lives and to protect their wives and children after the crowd declared they would be murdered if the resisted them.  The crowd forced open the door and entered the building and set about taking the firelock muskets from several stands onto the street and smashing them over a wall so they could not be used against them.  It must be presumed Best made a run for it too and raced all the way to the other side of Sheffield to the wooden horse barracks (at Hillfoot/Whitehouse Lane Where Mecca Bingo is now) to raise the alarm. A troop of 15th Hussars were summoned by the magistrates and hastily went to the storeroom to disperse the crowd and detain as many of the looters and rioters as they could. The crowd attacked them with “potatoes, pieces of wood, broken tables and furniture and fish which they had taken from the earlier disturbance in the marketplace. The crowd then scattered and peace restored without serious injuries to either party.
Several of the crowd were captured including a 48 year old labourers wife called Mary Gibbons who was caught with military breeches and gaiters. One of the men was captured by having the belt around his trousers cut making it impossible for him to run away.  All those arrested were sent to York Assizes in the castle for sentencing.   

That evening the Stafforth & Tickhill Local Militia and 2nd Sheffield Troop of West Riding Yeomanary guarded the storeroom whilst the damage was repared and pickets were set up around town at the Town Hall, bayonet factory and sword factory to stop any more thefts.

The day after the Magistrates ordered the Special Constables to patrol the town and break up any crowds and to arrest any that would not split up.  Public houses were forced to close at 10pm unless specially exempted.
Two further petitions condemning the Orders in Council system was sent to Parliament on 17th of April signed by 9,000 and 17,000 respectively as noted by the Sheffield Iris, a political paper of the time.
On 18th April General Grey wrote about the disturbances stating that they were unconnected to the other riots occurring at the same time in other parts of Yorkshire. On 20th April there were further disturbances but nothing on the scale of the week before.
For days afterwards the Yeomanry Cavalry and dragoons were prevalent on the streets of Sheffield keeping the peace. The Royal Buckinghamshire Militia and reinforcements of Hussars were sent from Nottingham followed on April 25th by the South Devon Militia. Troops of soldiers now under the control of General Maitland patrolled at night all around the area looking for anyone causing trouble or bands of Luddites.
In May the price of potatoes were still rising and were now 1d per pound rather than the same price for 3 pounds a year earlier. On 16th May further Special Constables were sworn in at the Town Hall the same day William Pitt became the new Prime Minister after the assassination of Percival.
On June 19th the Orders in Council system was finally repealed The Sheffield Mercury reported "thanks to those Members of Parliament who supported the revocation of the Orders in Council, by which the valuable trade to the United States of America has been restored to Sheffield; and a subscription, limited to sixpence each, formed, to present a piece of plate to Mr Brougham, for his able advocacy of the revocation.”.  This was not enough however, to prevent the American Peninsular wars (1812-1814). 
There were several reports spread around the town that the soldiers had joined the looters and an official inquiry was launched in June to ascertain the facts. Lord Sidmouth set up a secret committee led by Major Searle to go through the evidence. the dragoons were aquitted by the Duke of York of any wrong doing during the event.
On 1st August the captured rioters were sentenced at York assizes by Mr Justice Bayley; William Rodgers and John Rowan[s] (aged 15) were  were given 6 months for rioting and breaking firelocks, Gibbons was also given a further six months for stealing breeches and gaiters. Thomas Wilson was sentenced for assulting the Justices and rioting. William Groom was given time for stealing potatoes and William Shirtcliffe/Shirtley received time for rioting whilst 17 year old Joseph Wolstenholme was acquitted.  William Denton was sentenced for inciting a mob to try and rescue four of the prisoners in the assizes in York Castle. Bayley was later critisied over his lenient sentencing of the rioters. It ias unclear what happened to Charles Parker - he was arrested with John Rowans but no record of his sentence exists and also William Bowen who was taken to York Azzises on the 22nd April with William Denton.
The rioting in Sheffield was not over though and on 18th August a large group formed in the town demanding that flour be sold to them at 3 shillings per stone (nearly ½ price from its value). A paper had been drawn up by the crowd and one had disguised himself with a white hat as Earl Fitzwilliam, the Lord Lieutenant of the West Riding of Yorkshire telling the dealers that he would pay the difference of all the sales afterwards.  Other flour dealers were threatened that their property would be destroyed if they did not sell it at a reduced rate. Once the rest of Sheffield had heard about the reduced rates every able person went into town to collect as much of the cheap flour as possible.  The Justices of the peace; Lord Milton, Mr Wortley, Mr Parker and Mr Corbett were all out on the street with militia and cavalry.  Lord Milton tried to reason with the crowd stating that they must wait until the harvest for cheaper prices and to be patient – this was met by several stones being thrown at him.  The Riot Act was read out several times, several of the crowd arrested and the flour dealers shops were protected by soldiers with their swords drawn. Several of the crowd threatened to go to Wentworth House to see Lord Fitzwilliam. Soldiers were requested by Lieutenant Colonel Laney to be brought from Barnsley. On the 20th a group of twenty three men were arrested close to the town. By September the price of lour had risen to 6 shillings/4d per stone. It is worth noting that contemporary sources describe brad made from the 1811 wet harvest as having the outside baked like a husk whereas the innards were like gruel.
More trouble occurred on the 3rd December when several persons met in the Wicker to vent their grievances before parading around the town with ‘symbols’ including a loaf of bread dripping in blood and placed on top of a pole.  There were also many disturbances during the night.  John Blackwell aka "Jacky Blacker" a well known political activist and tailor from the area was arrested. Three days later another crowd met at the burial ground which the disturbances had originated moths earlier but were met by soldiers and sent on their way. On 19th March 1817 Blackwell was given a two year prison sentence for his participation in the riots in December. On 23rd June 1817 Joseph Wolstenholme’s name reappears after he was arrested at the Blue Bell public house on information from a spy about a secret meeting.
The poor rates collected in Sheffield throughout 1812 was £27,253.9s10d.
Food riots also occurred in Barnsley, Bristol, Carlisle and Mansfield during the coming months, a sign that the locals were less than happy.
In 1821 the Foundation stone for St Georges church was laid and it is now a campus building for the University of Sheffield.
I do wonder what happened to the men that started the riot on 12th April, the Workhouse was a cruel place and undoubtedly they would have been punished for this.
200 years ago this week the men and women of Sheffield had finally had enough of poor wages, lack of jobs and escalating food prices and came out in force to protest against the government and military suppression which had built up in the area with the rise of Luddite activities.
During the early part of 1812 around a hundred men had been working on the new 2 ½ acre plot of land off Broad Lane assigned for St. Georges church in the north west of the town collecting nearby clay deposits to level the land.  Dressed in rags and forced to wear clogs as a ‘badge of receiving parish relief’ (probably the first people in the West Riding to have to wear them). these men had been a skilled cutlers but recent events meant there was no work and without work they had been reduced to moving out of their rented properties to the worst place imaginable – the Workhouse. The main Sheffield Workhouse was located at this time on West Bar and Bower Lane and was built around 1736 (the other at Rock Street, Pitsmoor was built in 1801). A shortage of coins also meant the workhouse produced their own gold, silver and copper coinage, this meant that they could only buy produce from local shops that were willing to take these as payment and redeem them at the workhouse and this was often open to abuse and inflated prices. The Napoleonic wars had been dragging on for several years and trade with Europe had been severely dented due to the ‘continental System’ which was an attempt to cut the UK off from all links with European trade. Although not entirely successful it had created a massive feeling of community unrest and poverty which had in turn created the Luddite uprisings of 1812.  American Congress had placed a prohibition on British manufacturers which was also creating mass unemployment in the country, the worst since the 1760’s. A petition sent to Parliament on 17th March 1812 was signed by 10,000 people from the Sheffield area condemning the Orders in Council system
There were also strong negotiations being held by the master Cutler and Corporation of Cutlers regard to the East Indian Company Act which was due for renewal and on Monday April 6th Earl Fitzwilliam, The Duke of Norfolk, the Earl of Buckinghamshire and Earl Grey went to have a meeting in the Cutlers Hall to argue over the monopoly the company held.  Towns including Sheffield, Birmingham, Whitby and Liverpool were petitioning against the continuation with the Act due to high shipping costs and low quota space on its ships. This was partially due to the ships being dual use and able to be quickly refitted as warships.   Sheffield and Birmingham were particularly interested in opening up the export market so unemployment could be reduced.
From this information we can gather that tension was high in the town, unemployment was rife, morale was low, food was expensive, the population of the town was steadily rising (69,275 in 1811 compared to 60,095 in 1801) and the future looked bleak. One contemporary account states “Never in my memory has there been in Sheffield so bad and distressing a time”. The people in charge were well aware of this and on the 7th April the Sheffield Regiments of Yeomanry Cavalry and Local Militia were pressed into service to assist in preserving the peace of the town.

On Tuesday April 14th 1812 at noon they had decided enough was enough and marched down to the corn market (now the area around Prior Lane, King Street and Hartshead (now the area around Argos and the tram stop) before marching back to their work.  This was to trigger an instantaneous reaction from the people of the town mainly directed at the potato dealers.  The price of this everyday item had been rising sharply due to several bad harvests due to floods and droughts throughout Britain over the previous four years (corn was a t 26 shillings per Winchester bushel and fine flour was 5 shillings per stone). The locals including women and children grabbed all the food they could during the disturbance, this included butter, potatoes, red herrings taken from a smashed barrel and sacks of corn. Windows were smashed by the gangs and effigies of millers had nooses put around their necks and hung.  The Magistrates and Peace Officers came out on to the street to try and restore law and order, the rioting was quelled by around 2 o’clock and most people returned to their everyday chores.  It was reported that all the food taken was hidden in as many places as possible by the looters and retrieving the goods was nearly impossible.
However some of the crowd were that enraged they reformed shouting "All in a mind for the Volunteer arms!"  They made their way to the militia depositary, a store room previously occupied by Jonathan Hobson, in Brightside at the bottom of Spital Hill across from a public house called The Star. The crowd forced open the door and entered the building.  According to a contemporary account by one of the guards he was called a “blue back’d bugger”.  The soldiers had no ammunition at the store so fixed bayonets to their rifles and prepared for the worst. The guards decided not to defend the site such was the anger of the crowd fled fearing for their lives and to protect their wives and children after the crowd declared they would be murdered if the resisted them.  The rioters set about taking the firelock muskets from several stands onto the street and smashing them over a wall so they could not be used against them.  Some of the guards had raced all the way to the other side of Sheffield to the wooden horse barracks (at Hillfoot/ Whitehouse Lane Where Mecca Bingo is now) to raise the alarm. A troop of Dragoons were summoned by the magistrates and hastily went to the storeroom to disperse the crowd and detain as many of the looters and rioters as they could. The crowd attacked them with “potatoes, pieces of wood, broken tables and furniture and fish which they had taken from the earlier disturbance in the marketplace. The crowd then scattered and peace restored without serious injuries to either party.
Several of the crowd were captured including a 48 year old labourers wife called Mary Gibbons who was caught with military breeches and gaiters. One of the men was captured by having the belt around his trousers cut making it impossible for him to run away.  All those arrested were sent to York Assizes in the castle for sentencing.   The day after the Magistrates ordered the Special Constables to patrol the town and break up any crowds and to arrest any that would not split up.  Public houses were forced to close at 10pm unless specially exempted.
Two further petitions condemning the Orders in Council system was sent to Parliament on 17th of April signed by 9,000 and 17,000 respectively as noted by the Sheffield Iris, a political paper of the time.
On 18th April General Grey wrote about the disturbances stating that they were unconnected to the other riots occurring at the same time in other parts of Yorkshire. On 20th April there were further disturbances but nothing on the scale of the week before.
For days afterwards the Yeomanry Cavalry and dragoons were prevalent on the streets of Sheffield keeping the peace. The Royal Buckinghamshire Militia and reinforcements of Hussars were sent from Nottingham followed on April 25th by the South Devon Militia. Troops of soldiers now under the control of General Maitland patrolled at night all around the area looking for anyone causing trouble or bands of Luddites.
In May the price of potatoes were still rising and were now 1d per pound rather than the same price for 3 pounds a year earlier. On 16th May further Special Constables were sworn in at the Town Hall the same day William Pitt became the new Prime Minister after the assassination of Percival.
On June 19th the Orders in Council system was finally repealed The Sheffield Mercury reported "thanks to those Members of Parliament who supported the revocation of the Orders in Council, by which the valuable trade to the United States of America has been restored to Sheffield; and a subscription, limited to sixpence each, formed, to present a piece of plate to Mr Brougham, for his able advocacy of the revocation.”.  This was not enough however, to prevent the American Peninsular wars (1812-1814). 
There were several reports spread around the town that the soldiers had joined the looters and an official inquiry was launched in June to ascertain the facts. Lord Sidmouth set up a secret committee led by Major Searle to go through the evidence. the dragoons were aquitted by the Duke of York of any wrong doing during the event.
On 1st August the captured rioters were sentenced at York assizes by Mr Justice Bayley; William Rodgers was given six months, Mary Gibbons 12 months whilst 17 year old Joseph Wolstenholme was acquitted. Bayley was later critisied over his lenient sentencing of the rioters
The rioting in Sheffield was not over though and on 18th August a large group formed in the town demanding that flour be sold to them at 3 shillings per stone (nearly ½ price from its value). A paper had been drawn up by the crowd and one had disguised himself with a white hat as Earl Fitzwilliam, the Lord Lieutenant of the West Riding of Yorkshire telling the dealers that he would pay the difference of all the sales afterwards.  Other flour dealers were threatened that their property would be destroyed if they did not sell it at a reduced rate. Once the rest of Sheffield had heard about the reduced rates every able person went into town to collect as much of the cheap flour as possible.  The Justices of the peace; Lord Milton, Mr Wortley, Mr Parker and Mr Corbett were all out on the street with militia and cavalry.  Lord Milton tried to reason with the crowd stating that they must wait until the harvest for cheaper prices and to be patient – this was met by several stones being thrown at him.  The Riot Act was read out several times, several of the crowd arrested and the flour dealers shops were protected by soldiers with their swords drawn. Several of the crowd threatened to go to Wentworth House to see Lord Fitzwilliam. Soldiers were requested by Lieutenant Colonel Laney to be brought from Barnsley. On the 20th a group of twenty three men were arrested close to the town. By September the price of lour had risen to 6 shillings/4d per stone. It is worth noting that contemporary sources describe brad made from the 1811 wet harvest as having the outside baked like a husk whereas the innards were like gruel.
More trouble occurred on the 3rd December when several persons met in the Wicker to vent their grievances before parading around the town with ‘symbols’ including a loaf of bread dripping in blood and placed on top of a pole.  There were also many disturbances during the night.  John Blackwell a well known political activist and tailor from the area was arrested. Three days later another crowd met at the burial ground which the disturbances had originated moths earlier but were met by soldiers and sent on their way. On 19th March 1817 Blackwell was given a two year prison sentence for his participation in the riots in December. On 23rd June 1817 Joseph Wolstenholme’s name reappears after he was arrested at the Blue Bell public house on information from a spy about a secret meeting.
The poor rates collected in Sheffield throughout 1812 was £27,253.9s10d.
Food riots also occurred in Barnsley, Bristol, Carlisle and Mansfield during the coming months, a sign that the locals were less than happy.
In 1821 the Foundation stone for St Georges church was laid and it is now a campus building for the University of Sheffield.
I do wonder what happened to the men that started the riot on 12th April, the Workhouse was a cruel place and undoubtedly they would have been punished for this.